From the perspective of somebody whose team plays in Major League Soccer, it can be hard to know how much to invest in the U.S. Open Cup: particularly so early in the tournament; particularly when your team has had to play their rivals so often. It says something for the dynamic between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC that despite being drawn together in Open Cup eight times over the last 15 years, the broader state of the rivalry remains strong.
To say the rivalry’s normal, MLS dynamic is still present in these Open Cup games, though, would be a little too much.